1 User Reviews of Viking Idun Cruise Ship

This past year, my husband and I were aboard the Viking Skirnir
for the Grand European Tour beginning September 26 and ending
October 10. This was our “Swan Song,” because due to our age, we
knew we couldn’t take another trip like this. I must say that the
food and service on the ship was excellent. We enjoyed every mile
of the trip until we had occasion to deal with Verona, the
Concierge.

When we arrived in Vienna, my husband became suddenly and
extremely ill with what we later learned was pneumonia. The doctor
that Verona called came to our stateroom, observed my husband on
the floor and said, “I’m a doctor. I don’t pick people up.” He
didn’t touch him or talk to him, which I thought was very arrogant.
Then he charged me 100 Euros, leaving me with three Euros. I asked
him to call an ambulance, which he did, because my husband was
feverish and unable to rise from the floor. He is nearing 90, so of
course, I was extremely worried about him, and I was sick, too.
Verona did nothing to advise us in any way.

As we were leaving, she told me I would have to find my own way
back to the US. I asked her how I should do that, and she said to
call my travel agent. Viking was my travel agent! She also said I
would have to find a way to get to Budapest to pack up our things
and get them back to Vienna. She told me that a taxi would be too
expensive, and I should take a train, but didn’t tell me where I
could find a train station. She made no suggestion where I might
find a hotel in Vienna, or anyone I could call to get some advice
as to how I might manage alone in Vienna. She also reminded me that
there were expenses we had incurred on the ship that needed to be
paid for. She didn’t call my emergency number to notify my daughter
what had happened to us. Why do we give emergency contacts to
Viking? Our children were terrified.

When I left the ship in a panic, worried about my husband, I
took only a change of clothes for him and our toothbrushes. I
forgot any clothes for myself, and I had no money. It took a couple
of days for me to find a hotel room, an ATM for money, and a coat
and umbrella to keep me from the rain. I also had a terrible sore
throat and cold, so I was miserable in more ways than one.

Meanwhile, on the third day, Verona called me to say I could
pick up my belongings when the ship made its return trip to Vienna.
She knew all along that the ship was coming back, but she let me
worry over how I was going to get to Budapest to get our things. My
blood pressure was 228/110 and I had to make two trips to the
emergency room for IVs to try to lower it. I’ve never been so alone
and so worried in my life.

I didn’t have time to get the insurance papers, so I couldn’t
call them for assistance, until I picked up all our things the 5th
day of our stay in Vienna. I didn’t have the leisure of thinking of
and picking out the various items I might have needed for ten days,
when my husband is getting in an ambulance going to a hospital,
which I wasn’t familiar with. I had to get on the ambulance in a
hurry to accompany my husband. However, Verona had time to rudely
warn me of all the things I needed to take care of.

My husband was in the hospital for 10 days, when we were finally
discharged to return home, but unfortunately I have only the memory
of being an old woman completely helpless in Vienna without even a
hint of concern or assistance and unable to speak the language.
Would you have wanted your mother to have been put in this
situation? No one takes a cruise thinking there would be an
emergency, but Verona surely could have recommended a hotel in
Vienna or had someone accompany us to translate. She is a very poor
individual to represent Viking Cruise lines, and the fact she is
there is a reflection of poor hiring patterns by Viking. We were
notified by Viking that we could have a $250 coupon for another
trip.

This past year, my husband and I were aboard the Viking Skirnir
for the Grand European Tour beginning September 26 and ending
October 10. This was our “Swan Song,” because due to our age, we
knew we couldn’t take another trip like this. I must say that the
food and service on the ship was excellent. We enjoyed every mile
of the trip until we had occasion to deal with Verona, the
Concierge.

When we arrived in Vienna, my husband became suddenly and
extremely ill with what we later learned was pneumonia. The doctor
that Verona called came to our stateroom, observed my husband on
the floor and said, “I’m a doctor. I don’t pick people up.” He
didn’t touch him or talk to him, which I thought was very arrogant.
Then he charged me 100 Euros, leaving me with three Euros. I asked
him to call an ambulance, which he did, because my husband was
feverish and unable to rise from the floor. He is nearing 90, so of
course, I was extremely worried about him, and I was sick, too.
Verona did nothing to advise us in any way. As we were leaving, she
told me I would have to find my own way back to the US. I asked her
how I should do that, and she said to call my travel agent. Viking
was my travel agent! She also said I would have to find a way to
get to Budapest to pack up our things and get them back to Vienna.
She told me that a taxi would be too expensive, and I should take a
train, but didn’t tell me where I could find a train station. She
made no suggestion where I might find a hotel in Vienna, or anyone
I could call to get some advice as to how I might manage alone in
Vienna. She also reminded me that there were expenses we had
incurred on the ship that needed to be paid for. She didn’t call my
emergency number to notify my daughter what had happened to us. Why
do we give emergency contacts to Viking? Our children were
terrified.

When I left the ship in a panic, worried about my husband, I
took only a change of clothes for him and our toothbrushes. I
forgot any clothes for myself, and I had no money. It took a couple
of days for me to find a hotel room, an ATM for money, and a coat
and umbrella to keep me from the rain. I also had a terrible sore
throat and cold, so I was miserable in more ways than one.

Meanwhile, on the third day, Verona called me to say I could
pick up my belongings when the ship made its return trip to Vienna.
She knew all along that the ship was coming back, but she let me
worry over how I was going to get to Budapest to get our things. My
blood pressure was 228/110 and I had to make two trips to the
emergency room for IVs to try to lower it. I’ve never been so alone
and so worried in my life.

I didn’t have time to get the insurance papers, so I couldn’t
call them for assistance, until I picked up all our things the 5th
day of our stay in Vienna. I didn’t have the leisure of thinking of
and picking out the various items I might have needed for ten days,
when my husband is getting in an ambulance going to a hospital,
which I wasn’t familiar with. I had to get on the ambulance in a
hurry to accompany my husband. However, Verona had time to rudely
warn me of all the things I needed to take care of.

My husband was in the hospital for 10 days, when we were finally
discharged to return home, but unfortunately I have only the memory
of being an old woman completely helpless in Vienna without even a
hint of concern or assistance and unable to speak the language.
Would you have wanted your mother to have been put in this
situation? No one takes a cruise thinking there would be an
emergency, but Verona surely could have recommended a hotel in
Vienna or had someone accompany us to translate. She is a very poor
individual to represent Viking Cruise lines, and the fact she is
there is a reflection of poor hiring patterns by Viking.